Fallen Angels
by Nobody's Song
Summary: Ryo meets someone he never expects to see again. When she resurfaces with a warning about Talpa, will their relationship heat up or die out?
1. Prologue Ryo

Prologue One: Ryo

_Soccer camp. I'll never look at it the same way again. Okay, so maybe going to a coed camp was a bad idea. But I know plenty of girls that play soccer just as well as the guys, maybe even better. And besides, as much as I love hanging out with the other Ronins, you can only deal with that much testosterone for so long before you need a break. Coed soccer camp seemed like a good idea. Play soccer, meet girls, what could go wrong?_

_Camp was easy. We arrived at the place which was located way out in the country south of Hiroshima and were divided into four teams and thanks to my armor, I was faster, stronger, and had more stamina then anyone else. Or so I thought anyways. _

_I was proved wrong the day we arrived at camp. Some of us had unpacked, and decided to play an impromptu game of-what else-soccer. I'm a forward, and a damn good one at that. I had the ball, and was preparing myself to score when out of nowhere I felt a body brush against mine. A leg entangled with mine for a moment to steal the ball, and I had just enough time to feel a soft breath on my neck, and catch a flash of black hair and blue eyes before she was gone, scoring the winning goal in our little game._

_Menaka Mizuti. She told me later her name meant celestial damsel, rolling her eyes as she relayed the information. Apparently her parents had been obsessed with the heavens. Her older brother's name meant angels. If she had ever asked me I would have told her celestial damsel suited her just fine. Probably a good thing she never asked. She wouldn't have like to hear that._

_Now I'm no pervert or anything, don't get me wrong. I'm just your average hormonal, 17 year old boy. Menaka happened to be the most gorgeous thing I'd ever laid eyes on. At first glance, we could be mistaken for brother and sister, but you look closer and you'd see the difference. We shared the same black hair and blue eyes but where I was sun tanned, with cerulean eyes and slightly messy black hair Menaka possessed an ethereal quality that I have never encountered since. Blue eyes almost dark enough to be black, silken raven locks that flowed to her shoulder blades, skin as pale as moonlight, and a body that called out for men to fall down and worship it. It looked even better naked._

_We were the two best forwards at that camp, and that drew us to each other. We got to know each other and developed an easy relationship. Menaka was the perfect break I had been seeking, a wild, short tempered beauty with an attitude and a foul mouth. She looked innocent, but wasn't in reality. A devil in white, or a fallen angel. Whichever you prefer. _

_Apparently she's rubbed off on me, because ever since I've been back the guys say I'm more impatient, more foul mouthed myself. All from spending most of my time at camp with Menaka. At first I and every other straight guy at camp just hung out with her because she was fun and cute, but as time passed I could see that her arrogance was just a façade designed to cover some deep unknown truth. That she was the object of most of her scorn, and her cynicism hiding a broken spirit. I did everything I could to earn her trust, so that she would let me in on her secret. It wasn't uncommon for us to just hang out and do drills together, or go for a jog. It was on one of these jogs that we discovered a lake hidden in the woods our camp was located in. It was there, on that same day, we both lost our virginity. Looking back, neither of us really understood how it happened but it did, and as neither of us regretted it, we never saw it as being important. But it was in it's own way, because was the event that triggered our relationship at camp._

_Whenever I had been with a girl previously I had held part of myself back. I was always polite, gentle, and attentive, and part of me despised myself for it. Fire is after all a passionate searing creature that comes and goes as it pleases and I was the Ronin of Wildfire._

_I had none of these issues with Menaka. There was nothing gentle, or polite about our relationship. It was a bright, ardent passion that roared within our bodies. Being with Menaka was absolute freedom, the freedom to do what ever the hell our little hearts desired. And they desired a whole lot. It was not uncommon for us to return to our respective cabins sore, walking stiffly for several days. There were no strings attached, and by the end of the month we spent at that camp I knew every single curve of her body, knew exactly what turned her on, what gave her the most pleasure. In return, she had learned how to push me to a dangerous line, once keeping me on the edge of orgasm for three days. It was not easy playing soccer while I was that aroused, but I managed. Menaka informed me at the end of the three days that it hurt to piss. I was rather proud of myself._

_We both knew it would never last, would never work out. At the end of the month we exchanged good byes, and promises to keep in touch which both of us knew neither would keep. She bitched for a bit about the plane ride she would have to undergo to return to her native home of Sapporo, located on Japan's northernmost island, and yelled at me for pointing out my car ride back to Tokyo would take longer. Then she was gone, and I was left with a flicker of a memory. _

_Just like fire…_

_Leaving and coming back in all it's glory when it was least expected…_


	2. Prologue Menaka

Prologue Two: Menaka

_Soccer camp. What fun. Let's all have a party and go out and fuck guys with strange auras and lose our virginity. Or don't follow my example. Your choice. I'm cynical. So what? You try being born into a family of priests and mikos, whose sole purpose in life is to prevent the fallen angels who have been exiled from heaven from taking over Earth, and see how you turn out. Let's not forget my mother is one of those angels. And my family has heaped scorn and disgust on me my entire life. Or the fact that my father only kept me because he felt guilt and pity for me. Course it didn't do him any good. The angels came to get me when I was seven, because I had twice the power of any angel before me. Dad tried to stop them, and he was ripped to shreds right in front of me. Considering all that, I think I turned out pretty damned well. But that's just me._

_So I threw myself into soccer. It was an escape for me. I wasn't Menaka, the half blood bastard child who caused her father's death there. I was Menaka, star forward and all around MVP of Sapporo's public high school. Beloved by my coaches, peers, and teachers, wanted by all males, and envied by the girls. Mommy Dearest passed along her looks too. Well thanks for that. _

_I go to soccer camp every summer, and this time instead of my usual camp I decided to be rebellious and go to a coed one out in the middle of nowhere. The wicked step mom was real happy, but Dad left me a good deal of money (once again a guilt thing), and I have a job at a record store, so I paid it myself. Upon arriving I threw my shit on my bed and joined the soccer game outside. Ryo caught my eye right away. Not because of his looks-or just his looks anyways-but because of his aura. I could see the fire burning in his soul, feel the heat of the flame, taste the smoke and embers, and the presence of his aura resonated and tugged on fragile threads along my skin, burning me, a harsh warning to stay away from him. I never did take advice well. _

_Every fiber in my being screamed at me to stay away from him, but I got close, and lost something I can't replace. Yeah, I screwed him. It was a wonderful experience, I won't lie to you. One of the more pleasant and rewarding things I have to remember. I was never abused, but the sex sure was hell wasn't gentle either. I ended up with bruises, scratches, hickeys everywhere. So did Ryo._

_People talk about making love, and how being intimate and gentle with the one you love is so great but we all know only pussies think like that. Ryo understood that. We had an unwritten rule, a philosophy we both knew and fucked by. You want, you ask, you get. We were willing to try anything, and we did. All we had to do was clear it with the other first. We tried that gentle shit once, wondering if maybe it was more rewarding. Nope. We discovered we shared the same animalistic passion and need for each other's bodies, a lust that could only be sated after pounding, hot, bruising hard sex, and lots of it. Damn I miss those times._

_We exchanged promises to keep in touch at the end of the month, without exchanging numbers, a sign in itself it was a promise we never intended to fulfill. And despite the fact that I told myself it didn't matter, it hurt to lose that friendship. I shrugged it off however. I had never allowed anyone to get to close, and even though Ryo had been a brief break in my self imposed exile, I didn't want anyone to be close._

_I returned to my so called home and was whisked away to an appointment with a gynecologist almost immediately. That is an experience I never want to discuss, think of, or go through again. I have nightmares about it occasionally. Anyways Dr. Fucking Nakamura informed the stepmother that no, I wasn't pregnant, I had no diseases, but she was 99.98 sure I was no longer a virgin. I was thrown out immediately. Well, it's okay. The bitch had wanted to do this for years, and I had been waiting for it. I had enough money saved up to stay at a hotel until I could find an apartment. The stepmother allowed me to keep my stuff at the house until then. So I only had a large backpack of necessities with me, and if I needed something I had to return to the house. This was bad enough but then the dearly beloved voices started to come back._

_I had heard voices in my head most of my life. I was taken to a doctor, and diagnosed as being schizo and put on pills, which served the effect of making high if I took enough. Other than that they did nothing. I still heard the voices. It took a while, but I realized I was hearing the voices of the angels condemned to exile, a living hell from which they could never escape. Sometimes I heard other people's thoughts, but mostly the angels. Never told anyone though. It might be helpful to the bastards that I was related to. Must've had some seriously bad karma or something. _

_Anyways, my first night in the hotel I heard the voices. They talked to me occasionally, mostly my moms. She never visited me strangely enough. Wow, love you too. Sometimes I just heard what they said to each other. Boring as fuck too. Tonight I had the pleasure of conversing with Mommy Dearest._

'_Menaka, my darling.' _

'_Fuck off.'_

'_It's your mother.'_

'_I give a shit why?'_

'_I want to talk to you.'_

'_Go to hell.'_

'_Menaka, I need your help.'_

'_Your point being…?'_

'_We can be freed my darling.'_

'_In case you haven't noticed I live on my own now. I am free.'_

'_Talpa will save us darling. He will give us the mortal realm for our own. All we have to do is kill the Ronin Warriors for him.'_

'_Tell Tampax Man he can go fuck himself.'_

'_Will you help us, darling?'_

'_No.'_

'_Not even for me?'_

'_Remind me of one thing you've ever done for me first.' I sighed and rolled over, wanting to sleep but to disturbed to do so. Who the hell was Talpa? What was a Ronin Warrior?_

'_Love, we can't do it without your power.' And why the HELL would she not leave me alone? I dragged myself out of bed to the cupboard. 'What are you doing my child?'_

'_Getting my fucking psycho pills. You tend to leave me alone when I'm high.' I swallowed a large amount of the pills, and as expected Mommy Dearest let me be. It was always like that. She talked, I insulted, she continued to talk until I got high or cut myself. She didn't like it much when I did that. Neither did I really, but it got her to leave me alone. Damn. Now I had to find these Ramen Fucking Warriors and tell them Tampax Man was going to have fallen angels kill them so that he could…I don't know. I rolled over and went to bed. _

_Damn the angels…_

_Damn the Ronins…_

_Damn Talpa…_

_Damn it all…_

_Why is it when I think I'm finally free of this shit it comes back and bites me in the ass…_

_Just like fire…_

_Coming and going as it pleases…_


	3. Hidden

Ewww…Mia/Ryo…or Mia/Sage… Sorry I just think she's way too old for them. Hehe. Sorry to anyone who likes those pairings. Never mind. I prefer oc pairings. On a different note, my church is requiring me to write a three page essay on how my faith affects my life so I can get confirmed. Grrrrrrr. Required writing. Damn.

Chapter One: Hidden

It was not everyday, Sage mused, that you got to see Rowan screaming like a little girl. So when you did, it was a good idea to savor the moment. Actually, if the situation had not been so grave, it would have been funny.

"I don't wanna go to the doctor, you can't make me, I'M NOT SICK!" which was entirely believable looking at the Warrior of Strata's flushed face, and pale complexion. We're not even going into the fact that he was currently curled up on the ground with several blankets because he was had been unable to walk up the stairs to his room last night. Yes, Rowan was not sick at all.

"Let's go Rowan." Sage sauntered over to his companion and threw him over his shoulder and carried out to the car where he threw him roughly into the passenger's seat. Rowan glared at him with an unprecedented look of hatred. Rowan really did not like doctors. The drive to the doctor's office was fairly uneventful. Rowan only tried to grab the wheel and turn them around ten times, nearly causing them to get into three accidents. He stopped once Sage pointed out that if they did get into an accident they'd poke him for sure with a lot of needle's at the doctors. They finally arrived at the doctor's where Sage carried his companion to the waiting room.

"Hi. I'm here to see Dr. Mizuti please."

"The patient's name?" The receptionist, a young fairly attractive girl smiled prettily and batted her eyes at him.

"Rowan Hashiba."

"Have a seat and the doctor will see you shortly."

"Thank you." He made sure to shoot the receptionist his most charming smile, and she blushed prettily while he returned to the waiting room, pulling Rowan away from the door and back to his seat in the process. They did not wait long before they were called in to see the doctor. He dragged Rowan down a hallway after the nurse.

"Okay now sweetheart. Open your mouth and say 'ah'." The nurse, a short brunette with a southern accent, instructed Rowan. He complied, glancing around the room in distrust. "Well, your tonsils are kind of swollen. Oh and white spots. Unless I'm very much mistaken you have strep but he doctor will know for sure. I'll go get her now and she'll take care of y'all in just a moment." (When I was at the doctor's last week-I was actually getting a blood test done to see if I had mono-this is the exact same kind of nurse I had. She actually had to draw the blood and I have huge issues with needles. She just kept patting me on the head and calling me sweetheart. It was great.)

It was actually about five minutes before the doctor entered the room. She was a middle aged woman with dark red hair and sparkling hazel eyes. She smiled in a friendly manner at the two Ronins, "Rowan Hashiba if I'm not mistaken? Come sit up here for me and we'll see what's up." Rowan complied without protest and even smiled a little as the doctor made small talk with him while she checked his pulse, temperature, and listened to his heartbeat. Sage grinned. He liked this doctor immensely. All of a sudden a huge bang and a vast amount of yelling could be heard from down the hall and moments later the door of the small room was slammed open with enough force to dent the wall.

"You bitch! You self centered, egotistical, traitorous bitch!" The doctor glanced up to encounter the glare of the most beautiful girl Sage had ever seen. Long black hair, dark, dark, blue eyes, nearly black in her rage. She was bound in ripped blue jeans, and a black shirt with the phrase "I get naked for cash" across it in white letters.

"This isn't the time Menaka."

The girl grimaced at the doctor's tone, which was impassive and dismissing, "I don't give a fuck if this is not the best time! I want to know what the hell happened to my fucking stuff.!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Sage almost winced at the coldness in the previously friendly doctor's tone. Apparently she was losing her temper fast with this young girl.

"It sure as hell isn't in my room!"

"It's not your room anymore."

"Only because you threw me out!"

"Well maybe if you weren't such a little slut, just like your mother this wouldn't have happened!" Sage winced and Rowan looked about ready to run and hide. Apparently the doctor had finally lost it with the young girl in front of her.

"So my mother was the slut? Well I'm sorry that your husband couldn't keep his dick in his pants! Now for the last time where the fuck is my stuff?" She had crossed the line and Sage could tell. He anticipated the doctor's hand striking the girl across the face just before it happened but winced at the sound none the less.

The girl's eyes widened in disbelief as she took a step backwards, and then her face hardened and her mouth set in a thin line. She then began to speak in the most beautiful language Sage had ever heard, despite the rage he could detect in the girl's voice. It music and song and dance and sex and chocolate and hope and joy and all the good things of life put together in flowing liquid sound that tantalized his ears flowing throughout the air like liquid honey. Dr. Nakamura paled and glanced around furtively as the girl began to yell louder and more angrily now waving her arms around for emphasis as well. Finally she screamed one last time at the doctor, stomped her foot, and stormed out of the office.

Dr. Nakamura grimaced then resumed her checkup of Rowan but her friendly demeanor had vanished. She finished diagnosing him with strep and gave them a prescription and dismissed them from her office with a rather painful smile.

They made it out to the car where Rowan curled up in the seat and promptly fell asleep.

Sage drove home his mind only half on the road. Who was the young girl they had just encountered?


	4. Death

It's been so long since I've updated. Wow, it feels good to work on this again. During the school year I just have no motivation. Anyways, Yay for Spring Break! Onwards with the stuff you actually came here for.

Disclalimer: You didn't come here for this, but I don't own the Ronin Warriors.

Chapter Two: Death

In all of his seventeen years of life, Kento had not once allowed a meal to be interrupted for anything. But now, an urgent scream from the living room brought him running. Rowen was sitting on the floor, wrapped in blankets, pointing at the TV and gabbling.

"Rowen, what's wrong dude?" Kento poked his friend, and Rowen just jabbed at the TV, having lost his voice to the strep disease only two days earlier. Kento stared. It was a report about the funeral of some doctor who had been murdered. Apparently her body was so torn to shreds that they had done a DNA test to make sure of who it was. The poor woman's husband had been killed in the same manner almost ten years earlier. Sage and Ryo and Cye joined them at that moment, and Sage glanced at the TV.

"That's the doctor I took Ro to a couple days ago, the one with the crazy kid."

"Crazy kid?" Sage earned himself a questioning glance.

"Yeah, some girl just barged in screaming about her stuff being taken. The doc knew her, but didn't seem to like her very much."

"Did you catch a name?"

"Of who?"

"Both."

"The doc was something Mizuti." At the name Ryo snapped to attention, his eyes narrowed to slits. "The girl…something starting with a 'm'"

"Menaka?" A deathly quiet question, fear underlined with certainty and hope.

"Yeah. Ryo, how'd you know."

"I went to soccer camp with her." He stood up, stretched his arms, walked towards the door. "I'll be back later."

It was the graveyard where he expected to find her, and it was the graveyard that she had been pulled to. She had been standing in front of a grave, a headstone bearing a single name of a woman buried for barely ten hours.

"Menaka."

"Ryo." She turned and looked at him. She had grown thinner in the month or so since he had last seen her, and she looked as though she had hardly been sleeping. The scuffed jeans and grey sweatshirt hung loose on her frame. She brushed a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear and he caught the glimpse of bloody bandages on her wrists.

In a half second he was beside her, wrapping her in his arms, brushing the hair from her face, scolding her gently on her condition. She tensed, than relaxed into his embrace, allowing herself to grasp onto the fabric of his jacket. They stayed like this for a moment or two, then she pulled away and knelt beside the grave.

"It's a shame she had to go like this. It could have been prevented. She knew they were coming. I even tried getting the bitch fired so she would leave."

Sage's comment about the doctor's "crazy kid" made a lot more sense.

"Your mother?"

"Step mother. Stubborn to the end, eh? There's nothing that can be done now." Her fingers traced over the words on the stone. "Loving mother of two sons. About the same as my father's. They made a point of excluding me from the family." She stood, and grabbed his hand pulling him away from the stone. "Let's talk."

"Why are you here?"

"Hmm? Oh, Tokyo. Well within two days of going home, the wicked step mother dragged me off to a doctor and threw me out of the house. I have an apartment in Sapporo. I came here about two weeks ago trying to get her to leave." A heavy sigh, not sadness, but frustration, guilt and maybe some remorse.

"Did you know she would be killed?" A quirked eyebrow that said volumes more than the question asked, and a scrutinizing gaze fixed on her.

"I had an idea. She did too." It was a refusal to answer his questions, a pulling in on herself, making the burdens she carried seem immeasurably heavier.

"How?" Hurt, confusion, suspicion were only the foremost emotions in his voice.

"Now that is something I can't let you get mixed up in. We all have our secrets Ryo." A shrug of the shoulders, the faintest flicker of a smile.

"Do you want some food?" he changed the subject to something just as painful.

"Nah. If you recall I don't eat much." She was running away from the subject.

"Not enough from the looks of things." Gentle scolding, worry over a condition.

"Money makes the world go round, and high school students are always in short supply." A remarkably blasé answer to end the discussion.

"Your wrists?" A discussion she wanted to have even less.

"Secrets Ryo, secrets." She ended that one too.

"How long are you here?" Was that a hopeful note she detected?

"Another week or so, depending on what happens and how long the funds last." And damn the fact that she needed to be here that long.

"Stay with me." A lust filled order sent her way.

"What?" She was confused to say the least. And she couldn't, she wanted to, but she couldn't.

"I live outside of town in a huge mansion with my landlady, four other guys and a kid. There's plenty of room." Desperate pleadings to make her things his way.

"Bad idea." And she knew to her toes, but damn it was so tempting.

"Please?" He pulled her into an embrace again, nuzzling into her hair, "I've missed you."

"Ask your landlady." She hated her self for this weakness.

Mia consented, and after some arguments about how maybe Menaka had killed her step mother, the guys had as well. She was moved in and at her own request, lived in a different wing then everyone else. Ryo didn't complain. There were some things the boys didn't know about his relationship with her that he didn't want him finding out just yet.

She laid awake, arms folded behind her bed, her bandaged wrists hidden behind her hair. She smiled to herself as she heard the door open, then sat up, her face offered for the kiss she knew would come. This is why she had consented to stay. For the mouth even now nuzzling at her neck, the hands pulling the white wife beater from her body, the feel of smooth muscles beneath her fingertips.

He pushed her to the bed beneath him, mouth attached to one nipple, one hand pulling down her underpants, fingers from the other insinuating themselves into her body. Gasps and moans echoed as fingers were replaced with a fiery tongue, and she shuddered in climax as she pulled away.

She pushed him removing the pants he had been wearing for bed. Gentle fingers wrapped themselves around an already hardened length and gently tugged. Lips clashed in an erotic battle for dominance, until she replaced her hands with her mouth, teasing to bring him to the edge, then to pull back, keeping him from that sweet satisfaction.

She heard the growl at the same time he grabbed her and wrestled her onto the bed. He thrust himself in, impatient after all her taunting. Her cheeks flushed in delight, her hips meeting his. He leaned down for a sweet kiss, and she chose to wrap her long legs around his waist. He groaned, spilling his seed into her, felling her body clench and tighten around him, knowing they had come together.

He fell down, and she cuddled into his chest, her legs entangling with his. He kissed the top of her head, and wrapped his arms around her. He began to doze for a light nap, knowing that she had already done the same. Good. She had looked tired.

"Like mother, like daughter. Seems our mother is not the only one whose tastes run to humans."

They had both jerked up, her eyes wide, his angry.

"Calm him down, I'm sure you don't want him dead."

"Menaka, who is this?"

"Ryo, I want you to meet my brother Seraphim."


	5. Explanations and Dreams

Another new chapter! Wow, this idle time thing is amazing. Thanks for the reviews, they keep me going. And for you people who think Mia is not too old for Sage or Ryo I'm throwing some of that in, just not yet maybe.

Disclaimer: I still don't own the Ronins, goddammit. Or Shinedown and their songs.

Chapter Three: Explanations and Dreams

Menaka's eyes flickered from the man in her bed to the man at the window. There was no doubt it was her brother. The same dark eyes, the same slender long legged build, although it was slightly more masculine in Ser, that slight ethereal quality that floated around them. They were practically identical except for Ser's glistening golden hair, quite unsuited for the Angel of Death.

"Do something with him, Naka. What I have to say is for your ears only." Ryo swelled with indignance but before he could do anything, Menaka's eyes began to glow. She caught his chin and stared him in the eyes. Her eyes had changed, now it looked like the night stars circled in her eyes against the background of the sky. Slowly they glowed until they were a soft white color.

"Everything you just saw Ryo isn't real. You imagined a man came into my room and tried to take me. You were very brave and fought him off. I noticed you were thrashing in your sleep and woke you. It was all a dream. Now you're going to return to your room with no more memories other then what I told you." Ryo rose his eyes glazed, and pulled on his pants before leaving.

"Very good. That's not an easy thing to do." The tone and his eyes reflected the pride he felt for his little sister.

"He trusts me. It made it easy." She shrugged off his praise.

"It's a strange thing to have someone trust you, isn't it?" he smiled, knowing the hatred and distrust she had received from her parody of a family for seventeen years.

"Is that what it feels like when you take their souls, Ser? Do they inherently trust you to take care of them?"

"Yes." He handed her shirt and she tugged it on. He noticed her wrists and frowned. "Menaka, what's this?" He caught her wrist and traced the lines of blood visible under the bandage.

"She talks to me. It drives me nuts. It's the only way I can make her stop." She flickered him a wry smile and tapped her head leaving no doubt as to who 'her' was.

"What about your pills?" He glanced up concerned. To cut had always been a last resort, and always in a subtle area. For this to happen…it must be bad.

"I ran out a couple of weeks ago." The delicate face twisted in distaste.

"Has she been that bad?" He was concerned. She had never been that concerned with either of her children before.

"Only lately. She's convinced this 'Talpa' she rambles on about can save them all. All they need to do is kill the 'Ronin Warriors.' I guess at this point they'd do anything."

"Have you told them? The Ronins I mean." He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, the other lazily stroking the bandages.

She didn't hesitate to curl into his embrace thinking for just a moment, "No, I haven't been able to find them."

He laughed then, a pure sound of amusement, a rare sound for him, "Why Naka darling, you're staying with them now." She looked like she was choking and stared at him with disbelief. "Rowen of the Strata, Kento of the Hardrock, Cye of the Torrent, Sage of the Halo and-"

"Ryo of the Wildfire. I knew his aura was strange. Maybe my taste doesn't run to humans then, but heroes." She smirked at her overprotective ogre of a brother and waggled her eyebrows. "I'm surprised you didn't attack him earlier."

"It was tempting. My message was too important."

"The one you have yet to deliver?" She quirked one eyebrow, making a point.

"Ahh, yes. You and I both know that your step mother-" he paused for the slight growl at the mention of the woman, "was murdered by the fallen ones. However, I talked with her on the way to the crossing. Apparently our mother had been harassing her for the past month or so. She found out the woman had thrown you out and was furious. She tried to coerce her into taking you back, and when you refused…"

"Apparently the bitch does like me somewhat."

Ser eyed her gently, "She loves you Naka, but our mother is a complicated woman. Now about your other problem…"

"You mean being related to an ugly bear like you?"

"I'm hurt. No, the Ronins. You can't just outright tell them what is happening. If you could warn them subliminally, through a dream perhaps? But they'd have to figure it out on their own. It's the best we can do."

"I'll start tonight, then head home as soon as possible. The angels are after me Ser. They want my power. I wouldn't want to many people to be involved. Ser…why am I so powerful? Why do I have powers other angels don't?"

"Another day Naka. You're not ready to hear that yet. When you've grown more. I need to go." He stood up and kissed the top of her head ruffling her hair. She gave him a hug and he was gone.

"I wish I could do that. I suppose I need to grow more though." She flicked her hair and walked to the boys wing. She stopped at Sage and Rowen's room first. She spoke into each of their dreams, telling the story of the angels, how they had allied with Talpa, and how deadly they could be. She repeated the process with Cye and Kento, and finally with Ryo. Smirking as she felt the message take hold, she returned to her own room.

Ryo woke the next morning strange dreams and messages floating through his head. He shook his head and caught the faint whiff of breakfast below. He walked down to Menaka's room to wake her for breakfast to find she was already awake. She must be singing and he caught the words as he listened through the door. Menaka had a low, slightly sultry voice, with a rock and roll quality to it. Nothing sweet or innocent there. He listened to the words, and he realized that in some way this song tied itself perfectly to Menaka.

_Send away for a priceless gift  
One not subtle, one not on the list  
Send away for a perfect world  
One not simply, so absurd  
In these times of doing what you're told  
You keep these feelings, no one knows  
What ever happened to the young man's heart  
Swallowed by pain, as he slowly fell apart_

And I'm staring down the barrel of a 45,  
Swimming through the ashes of another life  
No real reason to accept the way things have changed  
Staring down the barrel of a 45

Send a message to the unborn child  
Keep your eyes open for a while  
In a box high up on the shelf, left for you, no one else  
There's a piece of a puzzle known as life  
Wrapped in guilt, sealed up tight

What ever happened to the young man's heart  
Swallowed by pain, as he slowly fell apart

And I'm staring down the barrel of a 45,  
Swimming through the ashes of another life  
No real reason to accept the way things have changed  
Staring down the barrel of a 45

Everyone's pointing their fingers  
Always condemning me  
And nobody knows what I believe  
I believe

And I'm staring down the barrel of a 45,  
Swimming through the ashes of another life  
No real reason to accept the way things have changed  
Staring down the barrel of a 45

He started as she finished and knocked on the door.

"Yes?" she opened the door and grinned. She looked less tired, more lively, and he wanted to think he had something to do with it. She was dressed in loose brown pants that hung to just below her knees, goldish slipper looking things, and a tan scooped neck shirt. Her hair had been pulled into a loose bun and damp tendrils framed her face.

"Breakfast's ready." He offered her his arm.

"Good, I'm starved." She laughed at his look, "It's not that I don't eat anymore Ryo, I just don't have the money to eat as much as I should. While I'm here I'm going to mooch as much food off of you as I can." She slid an arm through his and leaned in, sliding the other arms around his neck, "And I'm going to take advantage of everything else I can too." She grinned at him playfully and skipped off to eat. Ryo gulped. He'd gotten himself into more trouble than he had thought._  
_


	6. Home

Yay for another chapter! And as much as I love my Minnesotans they make life so stressful sometimes. Never mind.

Disclaimer: I have none ownership blah blah you know the deal

_Thinking_

"Talking"

English

Chapter Four: Home

Menaka stretched her arms above her body as she dropped her bag on the floor and kicked it into the corner. She had left Ryo's home right after breakfast. She had planned on staying longer but some vague notion had tickled her to leave and so she did. She did not take advice well, but she had wonderful intuition.

Besides, today football tryouts began. Never mind school didn't start for another three weeks. They liked to get things done early at Sapporo. She had agreed to help manage the football team, when she wasn't too busy with her other extracurriculars, including her job at the record store, playing tennis, and going to the martial arts class she had taken since she was five. It was the one thing her step mother had actually insisted she take, along with her two half brothers. She was a natural athlete, and had taken to it.

She had started soccer along with the martial arts, volleyball and tennis when she was seven, softball and basketball when she was eight, and had played football and street hockey with her two half brothers a lot as a child. She had dropped softball in favor of soccer in the spring, and volleyball to play tennis in the fall. Hockey had only lasted two or three years, but she still played intramural girl's football in the spring, and had started playing ultimate Frisbee three or four years ago. She still played basketball in the winter. Last year she had received a soccer warmup shirt bearing the title Uber Jock on the back as a joke. She hadn't laughed.

She checked the time before digging in her cupboards to find some ramen and throwing it on the stove while she pulled on her blue jogging shorts and her long sleeved gray Uber Jock shirt. She shoveled down her ramen, and grabbed a bag with her phone and some money before tearing out of the door to run the five miles to school. She had about an hour to get there and could relax a bit.

Half an hour later she arrived, barely even breaking a sweat. She walked out to the football field and waved at some players before joining the other manager, Haku, a junior who had torn a ligament in his knee playing the year before, and the coach, her favorite biology teacher Mr. Toya.

"Heya boys! Ready for a fun day of tryouts?"

"Naka! Nice to see you made it!" She earned a grin from Mr. Toya a.k.a. Coach who was looking over a clipboard.

Haku clapped his hand on her shoulder and asked, "Don't you have tennis tryouts?"

"Not until the day after tomorrow." She pulled her hair band out and shook out her hair before finger combing it up again. "How's the lineup this year coach?"

"Not bad. We have a fair amount from last year, not too many freshman, and one transfer from Hawaii."

"Hawaii? Really?"

"Yeah. Looks like his dad was transferred for work. He has an impressive record. His Japanese is horrible though, so I don't know how he'll communicate with the rest of the team."

"Which one is he?"

Coach pointed towards a figure stretching off to one side. He stood up and Menaka'a jaw dropped. Tall, muscular without being bulky, spiky black hair, sun bronzed skin, and chocolate brown eyes.

"Put him on the team."

"Huh?"

"Coach, I will skip tennis if I can come here and ogle that piece of mancake every day. What'd you say his name was?"

Haku snorted in laughter behind her and Coach grinned in her direction, "The 'mancake' is named Thomas Kapono. You speak English?"

"Passably. Why?"

"Good. KAPONO!" Coach waved Thomas over and handed some sheets to Menaka. "My English is worse then his Japanese. Figure this stuff out." He cleared his throat and addressed Thomas as he arrived, "Thomas, this Menaka. She team slut." Menaka reacted fast and hit Coach in the stomach, screaming, "I AM NOT A SLUT!" Thomas was giving her a strange look and she offered her hand saying, "Hi. I'm the team manager along with Haku. Sorry about that."

He grinned and Menaka restrained the urge to drool when the most adorable set of dimples she had ever encountered appeared, "So no chance of getting lucky then huh?"

Menaka blushed and shook her head, "Not a chance. Let's sit down." She indicated the bench next to them and sat facing Thomas, her legs crossed in front of her, "Okay, paperwork, full name?"

"Thomas Makaio Analu Kapono."

"Okay, Father's name?"

"Marcus Kapono."

"Mother's name?"

"Kai Kapono."

And so the paperwork went onwards for the next 15 minutes or so, while Menaka helped Thomas with his, and everyone else did theirs on their own. Finally she indicated where he should sign the waiver and stretched, "Good. All done."

"Was that all?" She didn't answer but nodded her head in assent as she organized the papers with the rest of the forms, "So how come everybody else got to do it on their own?"

"Because everybody else can read Japanese. Now go do laps." He laughed as jogged off and Menaka ogled for just a moment more before rejoining Coach and Haku, who were grinning obscenely at her.

"Naka, he's taller then you." She swatted at Haku's head, who just danced out of her way. She was a little taller then average, and in truth was an inch or two taller then Ryo. Not that he'd ever admit it. "Naka! What was that for? You know you want him!"

"You're all so mean to me. Why do I even help out around here?"

"Because you like ogling the mancakes." Coach joined in on the malicious teasing before barking out some random order to the team.

Naka sat through practice ogling Thomas when no else was looking. Haku and Coach gave her more shit then usual but she had never seen a perfect ten butt before (Ryo's had received a nine point five) and did not want to ignore a gift like that.

"Naka, stop staring." Haku elbowed for the tenth or twelfth time. She rubbed the spot on her ribs.

"1. Who am I to ignore God's gift to women? 2. I'm gonna have a bruise. Stop it."

"That's it kids. We're all done. Everyone go home." The football players relaxed and all grabbed a water bottle before heading to the showers. Naka went to help Coach and Haku clean up when Thomas caught her elbow.

"Wait for me okay?" If she had blushed anymore her head might have burst but she nodded and agreed.

"Oooh, Naka's got a date with the mancake!" Menaka proceeded to throw a water bottle at Haku's head. It hit and she yelled, "I hope you have a lump tomorrow!"

They proceeded to clean up empty water bottles and the tackling dummies, when the team started to emerge. Coach called out to Menaka and jerked to the gate where Thomas was waiting.

"Go ahead. We'll catch you next Tuesday for practice." She nodded and grabbing her stuff joined Thomas.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Did you drive here?"

"Ran. I'm only five miles away."

"Let me give you a ride then." He flashed her one of those adorable grins and led her to a beautiful 67 baby blue Mustang. "So, it's Menaka, right?"

"You don't even know my name?" She pretended to pout and climbed in the car, giving him directions to her apartment building.

"Hey, just making sure it was right. So, what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Work. I was supposed to pull the eight to three shift but I have to cover someone in the afternoon so I'll be there til ten."

"Your English is very good. Where do you work?"

"Thanks. Record store by the bigger mall."

"So how about the day after?"

"Ooh, tennis tryouts."

"Girl, you're killing me. We have stuff arriving the next day so I'll be busy unpacking until Saturday. What about Sunday?"

"I'm all clear. Why?" She quirked one eyebrow and wiggled her nose at him, making him laugh.

"Well, I don't get to hang out with beautiful girls that often, and I need someone to show me around. I figure we throw in dinner or something, have a party."

"And if I happen to help subdue your hormonal urges so much the better?"

"Exactly. Pick you up here at five?"

For a moment the image of Ryo flashed in her head but she squashed it, reminding herself that he was far away and they were really just fuckbuddies, "Sounds good. I'll see you then."

He flashed one more of those endearing smiles and drove off, while Menaka did a dance up to her apartment. This was what following her intuition got her. A date with a hottie. She loved being at home.

Thomas ran up to the fifth floor apartment he shared with his parents. He grabbed the phone and dialed jumping up and down waiting for someone to answer. After the sixth ring someone did.

"Aloha. This is Nani Kapono."

"Gramma, it's Thomas. I think I found a gate."

Yay for more stuff. I'm not sure how this will go over, but it's okay because it's my story and I'll write it how I like dammit. This chapter was more to develop Menaka some and introduce Thomas who will be important later. Reviews are my bread and water!


	7. Courtship

So yeah, don't worry all, Menaka will no do anything with Thomas. He will try stuff though. In case you're wondering, Thomas look wise is based off of Michael Copon in his role as Vin on the show Beyond the Break. Thought I'd share.

Disclaimer: No ownership is mine! You all know this already. Of the Ronins or "Don't Forget Me" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Chapter Five: Courtship

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_I'm an ocean in your bedroom  
Make you feel warm  
Make you want to re-assume  
Now we know it all for sure_

Menaka stepped out of the shower and looked at herself in the mirror. A pure white towel was wrapped around her body, and her dark hair was falling free over her shoulders. She was supposed to be getting ready to meet Thomas. It was already four thirty. Problem was she didn't want to go with him anymore. She felt almost sick to her stomach just thinking about it. She thought about dragging herself to the phone and calling Ryo, but didn't. Instead she trudged over to her closet and stared at the contents. She didn't even know how dressed up she was supposed to be. Grumbling she pulled on a pair of knee length black pinstriped shorts, a form fitting white shirt, and a black ruffled vest that buttoned over the shirt. She glanced in the mirror and pulled her hair up, allowing some to frame her face. She added silver dangling earring and a pair of black shoes, before putting on a little makeup. She checked the time again and noticed she still had twenty minutes before Thomas came. On instinct she grabbed the phone and dialed. __

I'm a dance hall dirty breakbeat  
Make the snow fall  
Up from underneath your feet  
Not alone, I'll be there  
Tell me when you want to go  


Ryo glared at the ringing metal contraption that had interrupted the game of fetch he had been playing with White Blaze. No one else was home, and Rowen would be okay with losing a few pairs of socks…he hoped. He grabbed the phone and tried not to sound grumpy as he answered.

"Koji Manor."

"Ryo?"

"Naka?"

"Yeah."

"What's up?"

_  
I'm a meth lab first rehab  
Take it all off  
And step inside the running cab  
There's a love that knows the way  
_

"Not much. I just…" she paused upon realizing she had no suitable explanation for calling, but he responded, saving her from coming up with one.

"You okay. You don't sound so hot."

"I don't feel so hot. I'm supposed to go to dinner or some shit with a friend tonight, but I really don't want to." Although she felt better talking to him then she had a few moments ago.

"Why not blow it off?"

"I think I'd offend him."

There was the slightest pause before Ryo responded, his voice carefully blank, "It's a guy.

"Oh…um yeah. He's new in town and doesn't know anyone. He transferred in from Hawaii and I manage football which he plays on so I met him there, and no one else on the team really speaks English…" she realized she was rambling and winced, wishing she had never agreed to the stupid date. She checked the time, seeing it was still quarter to five, and saw herself in the mirror. She looked pretty. She looked gorgeous. But she knew Ryo would hate it, and that made her feel awful.

_  
I'm the rainbow in your jail cell  
All the memories of  
Everything you've ever smelled  
Not alone, I'll be there  
Tell me when you want to go  
_

Ryo's grip on the phone had tightened until he was certain it was going to be crushed in his hand. He now fully understood the phrase seeing red. Talpa had never pissed him off this badly. He was sick to his stomach ready to puke. All he wanted now was Naka, but she was the one who had put him in this state.

"I need to go." And he hung up the phone.

_  
Sideways falling  
More will be revealed my friend  
Don't forget me  
I can't hide it  
Come again make me excited  
_

Menaka had hung up the phone just staring at the ground. She felt more violently sick to her stomach then ever, and now her head was pounding as well. She glanced up when someone knocked at her door, and opened it to find Thomas on the other side. He looked very nice, in his khaki's and white and blue button up shirt, she'd admit it. But Ryo looked better even a shirt and shorts even when he was all gross and sweaty from playing soccer.

"You okay?" Thomas addressed the question to her.

She smiled weakly, "I just had a bit of a fight with a really close friend of mine."

"Well, let's bring your mind off of it then." He smile at her and pulled her away by one hand. She didn't even have the chance to protest. Her memories of the night were vague, and she knew she wasn't the best company. She did note that she could eat food fine, it was just when Thomas touched her or something that her stomach was upset. She almost cried in relief when he suggested she get home.

_  
I'm an inbred and a pothead  
Two legs that you spread  
Inside the tool shed  
Now we know it all for sure  
_

Ryo was pouting on the couch glaring at the TV. Sage and Rowen had gotten home earlier but seeing what a horrible mood he was in had left him alone. He had intended to sulk all night and go to bed early, but one specific memory had changed his mind.

He and Menaka had been doing drills at camp, and were putting the equipment they had used away. Menaka had been a little quiet that day. He'd slid one arm around her waist and kissed her forehead, asking what was wrong. She had smiled sadly and told him that it was the ten year anniversary of her dad's death.

"I try to stay away on this date. They always have a little memorial ceremony, but since they blame me…"

"Why?" Her eyes had widened, and he could tell she had let something slip.

"Ryo, I can't tell you that. It's a bad story. A complicated one. Anyways, they've never forgiven me. I've been kind of excluded from the family since then, especially this ceremony. "

He had been horrified that her own family could expel her like that, and had promise on that day to always _always_ forgive her for anything she did._  
I could show you  
To the free field  
Overcome and more  
Will always be revealed  
Not alone, I'll be there  
Tell me when you want to go  
_

Thomas and Menaka ahd made it to her apartment, and he had insisted upon walking her to her door. One arm had been wrapped gently around her shoulders, holding her like a doll. Ryo had never treated her like that. It had always been a arm around the waist, holding her as close as was possible.

"I'm really sorry you weren't feeling well tonight." Oh right, sometime during the night she had told Thomas she thought she was coming down with something, "Maybe sometime we can do this again when you're feeling better." He leaned in and Menaka realized he was going to kiss her. She freaked out.

"Don't!"

"What?" he had pulled back in surprise.

"If it's contagious I don't want you to get sick." She blurted out, silently thanking the fact that her mouth moved faster then her mind sometimes.

"Okay. I'll call you sometime." He had walked away and Menaka thought to herself that even if he had scored a ten on the butt o meter she still liked Ryo's better.

_  
Sideways falling  
More will be revealed my friend  
Don't forget me  
I can't hide it  
Come again get me excited  
_

Ryo had grabbed the phone after deciding to join the world of the mature once more. He had called Menaka and gotten her answering machine.

"Naka, it's me. Look I know you're probably pissed right now, and you should be. I was totally out of line. I just wanted to say I'm really sorry. Call me back if you can, and if you want to. I'll be waiting."

_  
I'm the bloodstain  
On your shirt sleeve  
Coming down and more are coming to believe  
Now we know it all for sure  
_

Menaka had walked into her apartment, and hit the button on her machine, smiling to herself as she heard the message from Ryo. She also noted that she felt a million times better. She could run ten miles now, no sweat. Her stomach and head felt fine. She reached for the receiver to call Ryo back when an explosion erupted in her head. She staggered clutching her head.

"_Power…we must have your power!" _

She screamed at the agony trying to get the voices to leave her head. No matter what she did they wouldn't leave. She tripped over one of her cleats and fell against her mirror, shattering it and hitting her head on the wall. She began to fade out, but she thought she heard someone screaming at the voices to get out of her head, to not touch her.

"Mommy?" she whispered confused, before the world darkened around her.

She was left lying on the ground, her dark hair falling around her, and the blood from the broken mirror forming a dark red pool around her. _  
_

_Make the hair stand  
Up on your arm  
Teach you how to dance  
Inside the funny farm  
Not alone, I'll be there  
Tell me when you want to go_


	8. The Day After

So this incredibly foreign thing you are about to read is an update to my story. I was working over 50 hrs a week, then lost a job, and started school again, and a got a new job, and now I have like 3 or 4 jobs again, and it gets a little hectic at times. Oh yeah, I have the sports schedule set up according to the one at my school, so if anybody has a problem with it, that's why it's the way it is.

All standard disclaimers apply.

Chapter Six: The Day After

_Dream Sequence_

_Ryo stood in a very cold dark place. He was naked and there was a thick dark fog around him. He looked down and saw he was glowing in greens and browns. Normally the combination would've brought mud and fungus to mind, but instead he thought of the open meadows, and the scent of fresh rain, and the sound of growing trees._

_He tried looking around and saw two more lights. One was red and ironically a glowing black darker then the fog around him. But there was something wrong with it. The light was bright, brighter then his own, but there seemed to be thick chains and heavy locks around it. It was fighting valiantly to break free, but the chains only grew thicker and heavier._

_The other light was all gold and white and silver. This one also, seemed to have problems. It was dull, seemingly scared and insecure. And all around it were thick shadows, pulling at it, trying to make the light their own. _

_He knew the lights were important, and that he had to save them somehow. He ran at the white light to try and help it, but there was a barrier and he couldn't pass it. He touched the barrier and felt a searing pain in his head, heard breaking glass, and saw blood. Dizzy he ran to the other light, and began trying to remove the chains. The light seemed to understand his efforts and began to fight again for its freedom. They were working together when something rose from the shadows. It was huge, and felt demonic but was far more powerful than Talpa had ever been. He could smell blood and carnage in the second before it attacked, and he screamed in pain as he woke up to his sunny bedroom, the dream already the barest of memories in his head._

Ryo was pouting again this morning over breakfast. Menaka had never called him back. And through it all there had been this horrible sick feeling of wrongness. Like he had missed something important. Like he needed to be somewhere else. His head hurt, and he had been haunted by strange dreams all night. He felt entitled to a little pouting. But no, the show must go on, and today the show was soccer tryouts.

It was his senior year. His and Rowen's both. The other three were a year down. He wanted to make this year really count. He knew it would have to on the field if he wanted to pay for college. So he needed to get his ass moving. With an inward grumble he sat up and dragged himself upwards to his room to put on his soccer gear and drive to the school.

Bacause Ryo was the best player on the team tryouts were mostly a formality for him. He still gave his best effort. He didn't like to slack off. And today soccer provided him with a way to ignore his problems, his dispute with Naka, the call he had never received, and the vague sick feeling still residing in his stomach.

After almost four hours of passes and goals and practice drills, the coach finally called them all to the middle of the field, "The members of this years varsity soccer team are Ryo Sanada.." and the coach went on to read the rest of the names of the team but Ryo wasn't paying to much attention. "All team members will report to school at 9am two days from now for our first practice. Thank you everybody. You all gave amazing effort today. I look forward to working with you all."

Ryo ended up going to lunch with some of his fellow teammates. They laughed and joked about their summers, and discussed opponents for the upcoming year. It was almost two hours later that he left to return home.

He arrived home after dealing with much horrible traffic and many much more horrible red lights. He walked in the door kicking it closed on his way through. He still had not shaken his feeling that something was not right in the world and it killed him to not know what. But until he got some kind of clue, he wanted a shower.

While soaping himself up, he thought deeply about the feelings he had been having, and more importantly to him, his fight with Menaka. He thought until the water went cold and he exited his shower and dried himself off, before wrapping a towel around his waist and proceeding down the hall to his room.

Kento was exiting his own room and mockingly covered his eyes, "Dude, you're like naked."

"I like to shower and be clean."

"Whatever man, hey by the way, that Menaka chick called for you. You two got something going on?"

Ryo nearly didn't answer in his delight that she had called but managed to spit out, "Huh?"

Kento just shrugged and scratched his stomach, "She's kinda hot. I wouldn't blame you. I'm gonna get a snack."

Ryo rolled his eyes at his teammate before walking to his room and flopping down on his bed. He grabbed the phone from his nightstand and dialed a familiar number. It rang three times before he heard a tired sounding voice.

"Hello?"

"Hey Naka, it's me. I um heard you called?"

She winced hearing the uncertainty in his voice, and tried to sound cheerful in response, "Yeah! Sorry I didn't call you back before but being the lameass that I am I tripped over my cleats and hit my head on the mirror. Totally knocked myself out. Anyways, I wake up this morning with dried blood on my favorite shirt, and everywhere else. It was not pretty."

"Lord, are you ok?" He was freaking out a little bit and couldn't understand how she sounded so calm, or why he thought he detected the faintest trace of a lie in her voice.

"Well, I went to the hospital this morning and got some stitches that are covered by some massive bandages, and my heads all lumpy and bruised up, but other than that I'm fine."

"Wow, I guess I forgive you for not calling back."

"Yeah, I got your message but I didn't have time to call you back before tennis practice, and then you weren't home when I finally did call so…It's not as bad as it sounds in all honesty."

"I didn't know you play tennis."

"I play everything. Tennis, basketball, football, hockey, Frisbee, volleyball, softball, but soccer is my true love." She laughed before resuming, "Anyways I just wanted to let you know I got your message and I'm totally not mad at all. I was really worried you hated me last night and it made me the worst company ever."

Ryo could see the exact face Menaka was making in his head. He paused trying to think about how to answer, and the silence stretched out before he finally said, "You know right now in my head I can see the exact way you look. You either just got home and are wearing your black shorts and your bright green exercise shirt-the one I hate cuz it has the built in bra- or you already showered and your in a white tank and some purple plaid boxers. You've got your head tilted down and to the left, and your biting the thumb nail on your right hand cuz you're wondering why it took me so long to answer, and your nose is crinkled cuz your confused about where I'm going with this."

"That about sums it up." She answered slowly, "Cept I'm wearing my red soccer shirt from when I was 8."

"The point I'm trying to make is, Naka, that I spent a month with you, learning everything I could about you and it still wasn't enough for me. I've seen that face your making before and I hope to god I get the chance to see it again. Last night…I felt like my chance was being taken away from me. And I couldn't stand it. I lost you at the end of camp, and I don't want to do it again."

"Ryo…" and that one word conveyed everything to him, she was teary eyed, and confused, and scared, "There are things about me you don't know, that are too dangerous for you to know. Who I am-what I am-that mere fact has caused deaths before, and I have no doubt it will again. I don't want yours to be one of them. As a Ronin, you already have that risk."

Ryo felt sick and was barely able to speak, "A..Ronin…how..what…you know?"

"Oh shit." He could hear the panic in her voice before she hung up. He stared in disbelief at the phone in his hand when Rowen barged in.

"Aww man, your naked." Rowen started to cover his eyes before he saw the look on Ryo's face, "Ryo man, what's wrong?"

Ryo stared up, his eyes still wide in shock, "She knows."

A little rough maybe but I'm out of practice. Review please!


End file.
